We do that now
by RedDevil11
Summary: In their 5th year at Hogwarts, Scorpius and Albus relationship slowly evolves into something more and the boys struggle to realize that there has been something more between them all along. Slow burn, friends to lovers, fluffy Scorbus romance story.
1. Hugging

**Chapter 1: Hugging**

It's the summer break after his fourth year in Hogwarts and Scorpius Malfoy couldn't be more depressed.

So much has happened during that year. He had almost made sure that some people he deeply cared about would never exist. His best friend in the whole world had stopped talking to him and it had made him almost as miserable as he had been after his mother had died. But all had turned out well. Albus and he were back to being inseparable and even Rose had been nicer to him and they had spent more time together.

So, when the summer break came, Scorpius was sad to leave it all behind. He was exited to spend more time with his father again and to visit his grandparents in France, but this nagging feeling of something very important missing never left him.

He thought he would spend all his vacation thinking about Rose Weasley, the clever, pretty, strong willed, sporty and popular girl. But to his surprise and confusion, he hardly ever found himself thing about her. And when he did, it was because he was at a exiting Quidditch game or saw a fascinating book, she would surely love. But in these moments, it was not sadness of her absents that filled his mind, but the thought of telling her about it when they saw each other again.

His crush for her had lasted four years now and everyone had always told him it would go away eventually. Of course, he had believed his feelings were special and he would love her forever. But nowadays when he had talked to her in the library or in the Great Hall or in class, the tingling feeling and the rush of excitement had lessened. He did like spending time with her, but maybe it was just that. Or he maybe he would feel different when he just saw her again, he told himself.

The person who constantly filled his thoughts, was another member of the Weasley family.

Albus.

But it was only natural, wasn't it? He was his best friend, who he basically spent every moment of every day with, when they were at school. So, it was not unusual to miss him.

His father had begged him to not owl Albus once a day, while they were on vacation so they could enjoy their time together. But still every night, Scorpius found himself writing a letter to his best friend about what he did that day. He didn't send them right away, but sent two together. So, technically he held his promise to his father and only sent Albus two letters every other day. And it always got him an eyeroll from his father and a secretive laugh from his grandmother.

...

Albus was bored as he sat on a bench in the garden outside the Burrow and watched his siblings and cousins play Quidditch. Rose and James were, of course, the stars of the game, and the main part of the game was played by them.

"Why don't you join them, honey?", his grandmother asked him when she came back from her kitchen to bring the kids some refreshments.

"No, thanks, I suck at Quidditch. And I don't like it that much, too. Besides, I don't think there is any space left on the playfield with both James' and Rose's egos there.", he joked.

His grandmother rolled his eyes at them and told him to be nice to his brother and cousin, but then let him be.

Albus just couldn't help it, but he wanted to get back to Hogwarts and wished the Summer break would finally be over. He usually loved it and didn't want to be at Hogwarts. But since last year, everything looked better. It was not that he was suddenly popular, but there were more people talking to him normally and nicely, since they learned he helped in fighting off Voldemort's daughter. They didn't know the whole story, but it was all the gossip was about after the arrest of her had been made public and at the same time he and Scorpius had been in detention for the rest of the school year.

And what he missed most, was not being around people who would never really know him. No, he missed his best friend Scorpius. Due to his friend's vacation in France the whole summer, they would see each other the whole time, not even when it was time to get the school supplies for the new year. And Scorpius constant letters only made him miss his friend more. All the fun he was having and Albus was just hanging out at home and waiting for summer to be over.

"Admit it, he is your boyfriend." The voice of his cousin Dominique got him out of his thoughts.

When he looked up, he saw her standing with Rose, who was laughing at her.

"Don't be ridiculous! He is not.", Rose giggled, what was really unlike her.

Lily joined in on the teasing. "Oh please, I heard you talking about how smart he is and that he shouldn't play Quidditch because he would make all the girls fall for him. Admit it, Rosie, you think Scorpius is hot."

At those words, Albus eyes widened in shock. Rose couldn't really have a thing for Scorpius. The others were probably just talking nonsense.

But then he watched Rose blush to this implication and walk off with a sly smile, without giving an answer.

"Sweety, are you alright?", his mother came up to ask Albus. He just halfheartedly nodded and tried to put on a smile for her. But deep down, for a reason he didn't know, anger was bubbling inside of him.

...

"Honey, what's the rush?", Ginny asked her younger son in amusement as he hurried through King's Cross Station towards platform 9 ¾ .

"I just don't want to be late and let the other's take all the good seats.", he brushed the question off.

When they were finally there and Ginny and Harry wanted to say their good-byes to their children, Albus was the first to run off. His eyes desperately scanned the platform for the one person he wanted to see.

And finally, he saw the blonde teenage boy he had been looking for.

He ignored his cousins who greeted him and went straight to his best friend. Once Scorpius saw Albus stalk towards him, he left his father's side and met Albus half way.

Ignoring all the confused looks and all the whispers, the boys pulled each other in for a long hug.

They didn't notice that their parents came to them, looking at the boys.

Ginny couldn't suppress a big smile and shot a knowing look at the boys. But Harry and Draco just stood there and eyed their sons in confusion.

As the two finally pulled away from each other, Albus just shrugged and declared: "We do that now." Then, the two boys left their parents again to tell each other all about their summer.


	2. Cuddling

**Chapter 2: Cuddling**

Albus yawned heavily, which earned him a nasty look from Scorpius.

It was Friday night and it was so late that almost everyone had gone to bed by now. Albus and Scorpius were some of the few still present in the Slytherin common room. And they were they only persons in the room studying.

Their classmates didn't like it, when the two friends stayed up in the bedroom learning and chatting, so it had become a tradition for them to curl up in on couch in the common room and study there together.

"Stop yawning, Al. You know exactly, when you start, I get all sleepy.", Scorpius reproved his friend as if he could control his yawning.

But Albus was in no mood to discuss this matter. For weeks now, there had been a different matter on his mind. It was almost November now and Albus still hadn't told his best friend about the fact that his long-term crush Rose might like him back. Of course, Albus wanted his friend to be happy, but he just didn't want to tell him. He told himself that if Rose was serious she could just tell Scorpius herself. But Albus knew that wouldn't happen. And if it was not true, he didn't want to get his friend's hopes up, just to get his heart shattered into a million pieces. But after what he had seen that summer and after what his sister had told him, he was certain Rose did in fact have a crush on Scorpius.

And every time, Albus carefully pushed aside the fact, that he didn't want to imagine Rose and Scorpius being together, happily together.

He had talked to his sister Lily today, who had asked him to let Scorpius know about Rose's feelings. He had told her the exact same reasons he had told himself, why he should not do that.

But then, his sister had said something that didn't let go of Albus' thoughts all day: "Do you really want to be responsible that your best friend is kept from being happy?" And before Lily could declare she would tell him herself, Albus promised he would do it.

So, all night, he had thought of the best way to tell his friend the news he had been wanting to hear since his first day at Hogwarts.

"Albus, are you even listening to me?" Scorpius sounded a bit mad, but also concerned. Of course, he had noticed something had worried his friend for most of the day. But Albus would tell him in his own time.

Albus stared down at his book, eager not to meet his friend's gaze. "Well, you see, I have to tell you something." Scorpius waited patiently for Albus to start, still a bit confused, but also curious as always.

"Lily talked to me today and she told me…that Rose might have a crush on you." Albus tried to sound casual, but even he could hear the tenseness in his voice. Not that Scorpius would care. He would be so overjoyed that he wouldn't even notice if Merlin's and Dumbledore's ghosts would have a dance party in the middle of the common room.

But when Albus looked up after a moment, he found his friend with confusion written all over his face.

Albus gently put his hand on Scorpius arm. "Scorp? Are you alright?"

That ripped Scorpius out of his thoughts and he nodded eagerly. "Sure. Thank you for telling me. I guess I should talk to Rose about this."

"Okay." Albus gave his friend one last concerned look, before going back to studying in his Potion book. Scorpius reaction was a bit surprising, but at least it made Albus confident, that his heart wouldn't get broken. Then, Albus yawned again, which earned him another nasty look from Scorpius.

Half an hour later, Albus woke up on the couch. Obviously, they had once again fallen asleep in the now empty common room. Scorpius head lay on Albus chest. Albus took the scene in for a moment, but then went to wake him. "Scorpius, come on. Let's go to bed." He tried to push the blond off him, but Scorpius just wrapped his arms around Albus and mumbled "no". Albus just sighed, lay his head back on the couch and let himself fall back to sleep as he wrapped his arms around Scorpius to draw him closer.

…

Albus had not been the only one surprised by Scorpius reaction to the revelation of Rose's crush on him. What Scorpius felt was beyond confusion. He had been pining over her for years and now that she finally returned his affection…he felt nothing.

So, the next morning, after a surprisingly comfortable night on the couch with Albus, he got up and went to find Rose.

She was sitting in the Great Hall at breakfast and was chatting with her cousin Lily. After greeting the two girls, Scorpius asked Rose to speak to her privately once she finished breakfast.

Rose agreed and told him she was free now. The two of them left the Hall with many eyes following them and Lily sending them both a satisfied grin.

"So, tell me what was so urgent, Malfoy.", Rose demanded with a gentle smile.

Scorpius took a deep breath before he started. "Well, I heard that you have a crush on me. Or that people think you have a crush on me."

A deep blush crept over Rose's face. "Well, yeah, I do like you. But I don't know if I really have a crush on you. I'm not sure."

Somehow, Scorpius was relieved. "Me too! I mean, I know I used to have a crush on you…or at least I think I had…or…", he stammered.

Rose chuckled. "You know, we could easily find out if we have feelings for each other." Then she tapped at her lips.

Now, it was Scorpius turn to blush. "If you think this is…", but he was interrupted by Rose crushing her lips to his. After a moment of shock, he kissed her back.

After they pulled apart, Rose had a relieved expression on her face. "Well, I felt nothing. You?"

Scorpius thought for a moment. It had not been unpleasant. Rose was a good kisser. But his heart was not racing, he hadn't been disappointed when they pulled apart and he didn't crave to do it again. "No, nothing. You are a good kisser, but that's it. But thank you. This might sound odd, but now I can finally get the thought of us out of my head."

"Well, thank you. You are a good kisser, too. And I'm glad we both feel the same way. I really hope that now, we have a chance at being friend. Because I do like you. You can be pretty annoying, but with my crazy family, I don't mind that."

Scorpius gave her a happy smile. "I'd like that. Constantly beating Albus in Wizard Chess gets boring. I wouldn't mind real competition." At that, they both laughed together.

…

Lily Potter wouldn't be Lily Potter, if she hadn't sneaked after her cousin and her brother's best friend. And after seeing them kiss, she had hurried back to the Great Hall to share what she had just seen. It so happened that Albus was just sitting at the Gryffindor table with James to look at the package their parents had sent them.

As she approached her brothers, they didn't give her much attention. "Look, Lil. There are new glows for you. And mom send us all the brand new Holyhead Harpies scarf.", James explained without looking up.

She dramatically dropped down next to them and gave them a serious look. That made her brothers look up and roll their eyes at her, knowing that now the gossip would start.

"You won't believe what I just saw. Rose and Scorpius kissed!", she declared victoriously, not even trying to whisper. James wasn't impressed by this news and went back to inspecting the package. Albus, on the other hand, was speechless. He had known Scorpius would talk to Rose, but after his reaction the night before, he had hope…thought nothing serious would happen. Albus felt like he had been stabbed in the belly. He excused himself, grabbed his things and left the Great Hall as fast as he could, fighting tears he didn't know why they were coming.

…

Scorpius hadn't seen Albus all day. But he didn't think much of it. He felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off him and like he could see clearly for the first time he had been in Hogwarts.

He had spent time after lunch sitting in the Great Hall with Rose playing Wizard Chess and exchanging stories about Albus.

So, at dinner timer, Scorpius was looking forward to telling his best friend all about today's turn of events. He saw Albus sitting at a spot on the Slytherin table, punting the food on his plate.

Scorpius sat down next to him and began. "You wouldn't believe what a day I had.", he exclaimed happily.

At this words, Albus look as though Scorpius had kicked him. Without any more word, Albus got up and left the table. Scorpius looked after his friend in shock, before running after him.

Only in their bedroom did he catch up with Albus, knowing they needed to talk about this alone.

Scorpius reached for his friend's arm, but Albus stepped away from him.

"Please, Albus, don't do this to me again. I completely got crazy they last time you avoided! I can't take this, you are my best friend. Whatever I did, I'm sorry. I can't live in a world where you hate me. Please, talk to me!", Scorpius pledged, more desperately than Albus had ever seen him.

Albus felt a sudden pang of guilt. Scorpius had done nothing wrong. He had just acted on his feelings and he didn't have to come running to him to tell him the moment he left Rose. But Albus had thought about this all day and was finally begin to realize why he was feeling this way.

And wanting to hurt Scorpius was the last thing he wanted.

So, he reached for his best friend's hand and gave him apologizing smile. "Sorry, Scorp, it had nothing to do with you. I was just feeling a bit sick today. I didn't want to avoid you."

Scorpius was so relieved, that he didn't even notice the other boy had been lying to him. He was instantly looking in his closet for the medicine his grandmother had insisted on him taking with him. She always claimed the food in Hogwarts had made her sick all the time.

…

Later that night, Scorpius and Albus sat on the couch in the common room together once again.

Albus was deepened in the Daily Prophet, reading the latest article his mom had written, and Scorpius was studying with a Herbology book, when Scorpius suddenly looked at Albus seriously.

"Today, I kissed Rose.", he declared in a serious tone.

Albus still looked at the newspaper in his hands and tried to sound casual. "So I heard. Was it good?" Not, that he really wanted to know, but he wanted to be a good friend.

Scorpius ripped the newspaper out of Albus' hands and motioned him to look at him. "Yes, it was. But…not in the way I had thought. I felt nothing. It was good kiss, but there was…no fireworks or anything. So Rose and I are friends now. I know you told me this day would come, I am finally over Rose Weasley. And it feels…good. I can't really explain, but it's a good feeling."

Scorpius was glad that his declaration earned him an honest smile from his friend.

"I'm happy for you, Scorpius. I'm sure you'll find another…person, who deserves you and loves you back." Albus hugged his friend shortly, before snatching his newspaper back.

After a while, Albus began to yawn. He gave Scorpius a sly smile and mumbled: "Sorry."

But Scorpius just shook his head. "You know, you can go to bed now. I want to finish this chapter, but that could still take a while. And I don't want to keep you from your bed again."

"I don't mind, if you do.", Albus said sleepy and cuddled up against Scorpius chest.

Albus looked up at him for a moment. "We do that now. Right?", Albus asked for conformation, not wanting to make his friend uncomfortable. When Scorpius nodded, Albus made himself comfortable settling his head in Scorpius lap. He soon fell asleep, so he didn't notice the deep blush that had settled on Scorpius face.


	3. Sleeping

Chapter 3: Sleeping

Albus was practically bouncing in his seat at the Hogwarts Express when the train arrived in King's Cross Station. Scorpius couldn't help but chuckle about his friend's enthusiasm.

The two friends were spending the Christmas break at Malfoy Manor with Draco. Albus' mother had been not so thrilled with the prospect of having one of her children away from home for the holidays, but had ultimately agreed to it. She knew her son was no fan of the crowded Christmas Parties at the Burrow with the complete Weasley family present and that a quiet celebration with just his best friend would be more to his liking.

"I can't wait. This will be the best Christmas ever!", Albus exclaimed as they got ready to leave the train.

Scorpius gave him a look. "I'm not sure about that, but it will certainly be different from any other Christmas you've had before."

Albus had been to Malfoy Manor before, but never for much longer than a day's visit. But he was really impressed with how it looked in full Christmas decoration.

Draco explained to Albus that it had never been celebrated like this, when he was a child, but Astoria had insisted on going all out for Christmas. Scorpius smile faltered a bit at the mention of his mother, but when Albus lightly brushed his hand against his arm in an attempt of comfort, his sadness was forgotten.

Albus was fast asleep on a guest bed that had been placed in Scorpius bedroom, when a noise woke him. It was the middle of the night, so he needed a moment to place the noise. It was whimpering. He sat up in his bed and looked over at his friend's bed.

In it, he saw Scorpius tossing and turning. He looked like he was in pain.

Albus wasted no time to climb out of his bed and into his friend's and he lightly shook him awake while saying his name.

Scorpius shot his eyes open in horror, his breathing going quickly like he had just run a marathon. Albus gently stroke his arm to soothe him. "Scorp, everything is alright. You just had a bad dream."

The blond sighed in relieve and his breathing slowed down.

"Do you want to talk about it?", Albus asked him calmly. It was not really the first time he had seen his best friend waking up from a nightmare. Though, this was the first time they were alone and could speak freely without the fear of anyone overhearing them or waking their dormmates.

Scorpius just shook his head and then let it sink against Albus' chest. He was grateful, when Albus wrapped his arms around him ran his hand up and down his back in a soothing motion.

They sat like that for a while, until Albus broke away gently. "Well, it is really late, and I must admit I am really tired. I should probably go back to my own bed." But when he attempted to get out of the bed, he felt Scorpius hand around his wrist, holding him back.

"Can't you…stay here? With me…please?", the blond asked him in such a small voice Albus had never heard before from his best friend. Scorpius was looking down at the mattress, but Albus knew the insecurity that would be showing in his friend's eyes. Albus had promised himself he wouldn't do something like that on his stay here, but his friend needed him. And there wasn't anything in the world he wouldn't do for Scorpius.

"Of course.", Albus assured him and got under the covers. This was going to be a long night!

Most times Scorpius couldn't even remember his nightmares once he woke. Or that was what he told his father. But Draco had often heard him scream for Astoria, when he went to check on his son. It had started even before she had died, when the sickness had become worse, so they couldn't keep it from their son anymore. Since then, it was a habit of Draco to check on his son at night before he himself went to sleep (and sometimes even again during the night).

Ginny had told him to respect the boys' privacy, when they had talked about Albus visit, with an insistence Draco didn't quite understand.

Or, at least, he wasn't completely sure he did.

It was already past one, when Draco quietly opened his son's bedroom door. The first night back home was always the hardest for Scorpius and though his father couldn't protect his son from his nightmares at Hogwarts, he did his best to be there for him here.

The silence in the room was only broken through be two sets of soft and even breathing. To Draco's surprise, both of this sleeping sounds came from the same bed. He stepped a bit closer to see the two boys tangled up with each other, so close not even a piece of paper could fit between them. Draco couldn't suppress a smirk as he walked out of the room.

The next morning, Scorpius was confused by the look his father gave him. Like they shared a secret with each other Scorpius didn't know they were. But after having slept better than he had for a long time and staying in bed for longer than he usually did, his mood was so good, that he decided to not let anything to bother him.

Albus, on the other hand, was not feeling so good. His parents had sent over his presents to the Manor before the boys arrived, but his grandmother had insisted on coming over to hand her present to him over personally. He loved his grandmother, but she made him uncomfortable sometimes. The whole summer, she had bothered him about if he had a girl he liked at Hogwarts.

So, as he was sitting in a room waiting for her, was feeling a bit sick. That topic, he really didn't want to discuss.

"Thanks, grandma. But you really didn't have to come all the way over here.", Albus said after she had handed him his new scarf. He was probably the only one in his family not getting a scarf in his house colors. His was brown and red.

"Nonsense, sweetheart. We don't get to see you that often now that you are at Hogwarts. And you hardly ever write to us. I wanted to see you and hear how everything is going for you.", Molly said with a bright smile. Albus wanted to sigh. He knew where this was going.

"I'm fine, grandma. My grades are getting better. More people talk to me. And I'm spending the whole break with my best friend. Everything is well.", he assured her.

"I'm happy that people are friendlier to you, now. And do you have a girlfriend yet? Your brother is always talking about girls, but you never do."

"I know you mean well, grandma, but I don't mind being single. I'm a teenager and not dating is totally okay for us. I know you met your true love while you were at school, but… I don't think everyone gets that." Albus sighed.

Molly leaned over to him and touched his hand. "It doesn't always end in true love, but giving love a chance is always a good choice."

Albus avoided meeting her gaze. "Even if there was someone I liked, there is no chance they would return my feelings." Molly looked at him in triumph. "So, there is someone!" Albus blushed deeply.

Meanwhile, Scorpius had stood at the door, a plate with cookies on them which he wanted to bring them, but hearing about Albus' love life made him pause. Scorpius didn't listen to the end of the conversation, as Albus had changed the subject to something about his family. He rushed away towards his room and was wondering why he felt something sting inside him.

In the evening, Scorpius was sitting on his bed as Albus was getting himself ready for bed. All day, Scorpius had been asking himself why his friend hadn't told him about his crush. He wanted to believe that he had only implied something like that to get his grandmother off his back. But even Scorpius knew Molly Weasley well enough to know that something like that would only have the opposite effect. Also, Albus could not blush on command. Something was up.

But somehow, Scorpius couldn't bring himself to ask Albus about it. He didn't want to hear the answer. He just didn't understand why.

Before he could think more about it, Albus entered the room and all thoughts of crushes were abandoned.

Without even thinking, Scorpius drew back the cover of his bed beside him and looked at his friend. Albus hesitated for a moment. "We do that now, right?", Scorpius asked, trying not to show his insecurity. His best friend returned his gaze and got under the covers with him.

That night, Draco decided it was not necessary to look after his son and wiser to follow Ginny's advice to give the boys privacy.


	4. Yearning

_Scorpius is only blinking as he lies on his side, staring straight into the most beautiful green eyes in the world. Across from him lies Albus, gently smiling at him. His eyes are full of love and admiration. His friend reaches for Scorpius' cheek and gently cups it. Feeling his skin on his, Scorpius sighs and leans into the touch. He closes his eyes to savor the moment._

 _"_ _Scorpius", he hears Albus voice call for him. "Scorpius."_

 _He wants to hold onto the moment, but Albus voice grows louder._

"Scorpius, wake up. We are going to be late for breakfast." Scorpius eyes shot open, coming back to reality.

Another one of these dreams, he thought to himself as he got out of his bed in the Slytherin dorm. Their dormmates were already gone.

"Really, Scorp, since when do you sleep so late? It is getting more and more lately. I can't be the early rising of the two of us.", Albus joked as the waited for his friend to get ready to leave.

Since Christmas break, Scorpius had been sleeping rather late, that was true. After having the comfort of sleeping next to Albus and waking up with Albus arms wrapped around him, or the other way around, Scorpius had expected sleeping alone in his bed back at Hogwarts would be difficult. That was when the dreams had started. So even when Scorpius woke up early, he just went back to sleep. He didn't want to spend too much time thinking about why. The dreams were innocent, really. Well, mostly.

"Come on, hurry! I need to meet with my tutor.", Albus urged him. Scorpius wanted to moan in discomfort. With the OWLs approaching, Scorpius had insisted that Albus needed help studying. So Albus had gotten a tutor. But that had not been, what Scorpius had had in mind. He had of course thought of himself. And he felt even more uncomfortable as he still didn't know who Albus crush was. What if it was the girl, who was tutoring him? The beautiful, intelligent, popular, witty and funny 6th grader, who was tutoring his…best friend. His stomach hurt just thinking about it. No, it was just because he was hungry.

As they sat at the Slytherin table, Albus was already done with his breakfast, but as Scorpius knew his friend never left the table without him, he himself ate remarkably slow today.

Suddenly, the tall, dark haired, Ravenclaw named Amber Walsh came toward their table. Albus tutor.

Scorpius swallowed hard. How could…anyone compete with her. Her dark skinned face light up with a bright smile. "Good morning, Albus." She glanced over at Scorpius, who did not return her smile. "Scorpius."

Albus blushed deeply and stood up. "I'll see you later, Scorp." He lightly brushed his hand over his friend's back and dragged the smiling Ravenclaw girl away from the table. And there was the stinging feeling again, Scorpius thought to himself.

…

"Was that necessary?", Albus asked embarrassed, as he and Amber sat down by the lake. It was spring and the weather was good, so they had decided to study outside.

Amber just laughed. "I just said his name. You really need to work on your paranoia. I wouldn't have said anything. And judging by the icy glare he has given me, he wouldn't have believed anything I had said, anyway."

Albus shook his head as he unpacked his book. "You shouldn't have come over."

"Why not, Al? Me coming over to you makes him jealous. Doesn't that please you?", Amber joked.

"Don't be ridiculous. He is not jealous. At least not this way. He just doesn't like people being smarter than him. He is mad because I didn't want to study with him.", Albus defended his friend.

Now it was Amber, who shook her head. "Nope, that's not it. Al, everyone can see the looks you two give each other. And the look he gave me was full of jealousy, I tell you. And he is only mad because he doesn't know that the reason you didn't want to study with him is that his presents would distract you too much."

"I should have never told you that!" Albus was just happy no one was sitting near to them and could hear their banter. "If he knew that was the reason, he would be disgusted…well…or at least not happy."

Amber's hand now patted his shoulder. "I don't think so. He clearly has feelings for you. Though I'm not sure he has figured them out yet. But you have and I'm sure he will too, eventually."

…

Scorpius tried his best to focus on studying, but it was not that easy. The library was nearly deserted due to the good weather outside. It was basically just him and a few Ravenclaws in there.

All he could think about was this stupid girl sitting out in the sun with his Albus!

Scorpius was ripped from his thoughts as two seven year Ravenclaws passed by his table. "Hey Malfoy, where is your boyfriend?", asked the tall dark girl in mockery.

He didn't even look up to them but instead focused on the book before him and replied without thinking: "He's outside with one of your housemates studying."

The brunette Ravenclaw boy laughed. "Oh my god, I always knew they were really boyfriends!"

Scorpius didn't pay any attention to the two as they went on joking about him as they made their way through the library.

His boyfriend. Did people expect him to be insulted when they called Albus that? They didn't even have to say Albus name, in fact. It was absolutely clear that if anyone was his boyfriend, it would be Albus. And the thought didn't repulse him, wasn't ridiculous or even embarrassing. It was…

It was actually how it was meant to be. Or at least as Scorpius wanted it to be. He had spent months, to be honest years, trying to deny his feelings, not wanting to understand what they meant. But now it hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was in love with Albus. Always had been. It made him laugh that he didn't see it sooner.

But then Scorpius remembered where Albus was right now and with whom. It was hopeless. Albus liked Amber, not him. Albus didn't like boys.

A little voice in the back of his mind whispered to him that he had once thought he only liked girls, actually not even two minutes ago, so maybe Albus did too. Liking girls didn't automatically mean not liking boys. Not liking him.

But Scorpius ignored that voice and let his head fall to the surface of the table. It was hopeless.

…

James and Lily sat together at the Gryffindor table at dinner that evening when Albus walked in with Amber.

James pointed to their brother. "Do you think he has something with her?", James asked his sister. Lily only chuckled. "Oh James, you are so blind."

She looked over to the Slytherin table, where Scorpius was eying Albus and Amber as well. No, just Albus.

Her cousin Rose sat down next to her at that moment. "Wow, Scorpius is looking over to Albus pretty obvious today. Maybe he finally figured his feelings out.", she commented.

The blond Slytherin looked away, so he couldn't see what the two girls at the Gryffindor table saw. Albus looked at Scorpius with the same expression Scorpius had just watched him with.

"And Albus is totally yearning back.", Lily added as Albus made his way towards his best friend to sit with him.

Amber was now standing behind the two girls at Gryffindor table, a victorious grin on her face. "Yeah, I guess they do that now. But I really hope they will do more soon. At this pace, they won't declare their love for each other until their eighty."


	5. Loving

"Wow, that was an amazing Quidditch game yesterday. What a catch Malfoy made. Never thought he had it in him."

"Well, Hufflepuff's winning streak had to end some time. Winning the cup for four years in a row was already more than they ever managed before. But the most important thing is we are still first in the running for the house cup." Albus overheard two Ravenclaw students talk as he sat by a tree near the lake.

Yes, Scorpius had played an amazing game. He had been so proud to follow in his father's footsteps as Slytherin seeker. At first he had only played reserve, but after the catastrophic loss against Gryffindor, team captain Zabini had let Scorpius play.

Albus was not really a fan of Quidditch, but nothing could keep him from supporting Scorpius. While watching his best friend play, he did his best not to focus on how amazing he looked in his Quidditch gear or how adorable his face looked as he was watching out for the snitch. But he couldn't help the way his heart hammered in his chest at the gleam in Scorpius' eyes when he not only caught the snitch but also brought Slytherin the Quidditch cup. Everyone celebrated him and his teammates carried him on their shoulders. Only Albus was aware of how much that meant to the blonde, as his housemates chanted his last name. He had been trough so much, so much hate, so much loss. But now, he was Slytherin's hero.

In that moment, as Albus watched his best friend surrounded by people who wanted to congratulate him, he made his decision. He would tell his friend about his feelings for him. He just couldn't take keeping it in any longer. And maybe, Scorpius wouldn't be offended and abandon him, but accept it and still be his friend. No matter how much his heart shouted at him that he wanted more than being friends, Albus couldn't give himself over to the illusion, that Scorpius would actually return his feelings.

Of course, Albus didn't go ahead with his plan last night. There were too many people around to overhear what he was saying, even if he ever caught Scorpius alone. Which he didn't. A few time, the blonde had made his way to him, but there was always someone on his heels, drawing his attention away from Albus.

But today, they would be studying out by the sea, just the two of them. Albus had told Scorpius he would totally understand if he wanted to sleep in after the long night he had, but Scorpius had just laughed at him and said that Albus was the late sleeper, not him.

"So sorry, I'm late." Albus was ripped from this thoughts as his best friend sank down next to him. To Albus surprise, he didn't carry any books or anything with him.

"Ehm, Scorp, didn't you want to study?", Albus asked a bit confused.

But Scorpius just leaned back to the tree next to Albus and ran his hand through his blond hair. A gesture, he knew, Scorpius had picked up from his dad for when he was nervous.

Finally he looked at Albus, their eyes meeting and he could have sworn he saw a slight blush on Scorpius face. "You know, we study so much, I think we deserve a break. Besides, we barely saw each other yesterday. And I missed you." Scorpius voice grew to almost a whisper at this last part.

Was it possible…? Well, if he didn't do it now, he would never find out.

"You know I don't mind that. And I missed spending time with you, too. It was really amazing how you played yesterday. Your dad will be so proud." Albus sat up, so he could look at Scorpius properly, so Scorpius straightened up, too.

Albus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This moment would change his entire life forever.

"Scorp, there is something I have to tell you. Something important.", Albus began. Scorpius raised his eyebrow in curiosity, but let his friend speak.

"There is something I have been hiding from you for quite some time now. And I think I have been hiding it from myself even longer. But I can't hide it any longer, Scorp. It is eating me up and it is not fair to keep it from you. I…I love you, Scorpius.", Albus closed his eyes in fear to see disgust or disappointment, or really anything on his best friends face.

There was a moment of silence, but then he felt Scorpius take his hand in his.

"I love you, too, Albus.", Scorpius returned in a calm voice.

Albus shot his eyes open and despair flooded him. He thought he had gotten it out, but now he had to say it again, so his friend got it.

"No, Scorp, not like that. I mean…not just as my best friend, but like…like 'real love' love. I'm in love with you. And I really don't even know how long I have been in love with you, but… I understand if you…" Albus didn't know what to say. But Scorpius hand was still around his own.

Albus looked down at their joined hands and watched as Scorpius entwined his fingers with Albus'. Just now he realized how close his best friend had moved to him.

"I did understand what you meant, Al.", Scorpius said in a gentle voice. Scorpius felt like his heart was going to explode. He thought the rush he had felt at catching the snitch and thereby winning the Quidditch Cup for his house yesterday would be the most intense he ever felt. But this, this was so much more. Hearing the words, he couldn't believe his ears. But this was certainly not another dream. Albus actually loved him back!

When Albus had begun, he was scared that he had noticed Scorpius feelings for him and would tell him off. But this…

This wasn't a dream, so he could finally do, what he always wanted to do in his dreams.

Scorpius slowly leaned forward toward Albus, giving him time to back away if he wanted to, and then gently pressed his lips to his friend's. After a moment of no response, Scorpius was about to pull away (not that he really wanted to after finally feeling Albus lips against his own), when Albus finally returned the kiss.

And it was so much better than either of them had hoped for.

When they finally pulled away, Albus looked at Scorpius in astonishment. "You…love me, too? Really?"

Scorpius tried not to laugh a gently stroked Albus cheek, something else he had wanted to do for a long time, even if he had not admitted it to himself. "How could I not? I think I may have fallen in love with you the first time I saw you. I know how corny and cliché it sounds, but it's the truth. But I did only admit it to myself very recently." He blushed.

Now Albus grinned and ran his finger through Scorpius blond hair. "Now I can finally say it, you are so adorable, when you blush."

A 'Malfoy's don't blush' was struck in his throat, when Albus pressed his lips on his.

After they pulled away again, they both leaned against the tree, their heads leaning against each other and their hands still entwined.

"So, are we…like…a couple now?", Albus asked nervously.

Scorpius chuckled. "I think so." His thumb lightly stroke the back of Albus hand.

Albus smiled the brightest he ever had in his entire life. "Good."

….

"Gin, why are you so…exited? I mean, I know you always miss the kids, but today you seem more eager than usual." Harry asked his wife in confusion as they waited for their children at the platform.

But Ginny didn't pay her husband any attention as she looked around as all Hogwarts students departed the train.

James and Lily were the first to make their ways to their parents. But after a little while Ginny also spotted Albus with Scorpius next to him. As if on que, Draco moved to stand next to her. "Forget it.", he whispered so only she could hear him.

Albus and Scorpius suddenly stopped and their parents watched as Albus pulled Scorpius to him and kissed him deeply, which the blond happily returned.

The two boys finally came to the group. Harry was standing on Ginny's one side, his mouth agape and a very shocked and confused look on his face.

Albus just gave them a shrug and declared, while holding Scorpius hand in his: "We do that now."

Draco, on Ginny's over side, gave her annoyed look. Annoyed at her superior grin. He knew the boys had feelings for each other, but he didn't think they would actually be together. His fault: never bet with a Weasley.

So everyone else was looking rather surprised as Ginny declared: "Pay up, Malfoy! I won."


End file.
